<p><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-214401" src="https://www.collegecareerlife.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/work-life-balance.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="666" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><em>Photo by <a href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-lying-on-white-chair-while-reading-book-1537317/" class="broken_link">Adrienn</a></em></p>
<p>Work-life balance has become a greater priority for professionals in recent years. Younger workers tend to value flexibility. Many employees recognize that long hours in hopes of a slight pay raise or promotion isn&#8217;t as valuable as extra time spent with friends and family, traveling and pursuing hobbies. So which states are best for workers looking for work-life balance? Which states should workers avoid if they wish to have a healthy relationship with their jobs? A <a href="https://www.solitairebliss.com/blog/states-work-life-balance">recent study by Solitaire Bliss</a> analyzed data from the American Time Use survey to determine how each state ranks.</p>
<h2><strong>States with The Best Work-Life Balance</strong></h2>
<p>The following ten states have the best work-to-leisure ratio. Most also get eight or more hours of sleep per night.</p>
<h4><strong>Vermont</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.13</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 4.66</p>
<h4><strong>North Dakota</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.62</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.91</p>
<h4><strong>Nevada</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.71</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.8</p>
<h4><strong>Wyoming</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.21</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.54</p>
<h4><strong>Utah</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.5</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.46</p>
<h4><strong>Washington</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.76</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.42</p>
<h4><strong>West Virginia</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.31</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.63</p>
<h4><strong>Arizona</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.92</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.14</p>
<h4><strong>Maine </strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.15</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 3.2</p>
<h4><strong>Connecticut</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 7.08</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.74</p>
<h2><strong>States with the Worst Work-Life Balance</strong></h2>
<p>The residents of every state below work more than 40 hours a week on average and have less than 3 hours of leisure time per weekday.</p>
<h4><strong>Idaho</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.85</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 1.98</p>
<h4><strong>Iowa</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 9.79</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.44</p>
<h4><strong>Tennessee</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.91</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.26</p>
<h4><strong>Rhode Island</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 10.24</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.66</p>
<h4><strong>New Mexico</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 9.6</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.53</p>
<h4><strong>Oklahoma</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 9.92</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.69</p>
<h4><strong>North Carolina</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 9.01</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.57</p>
<h4><strong>Massachusetts</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.88</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.54</p>
<h4><strong>New Hampshire</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 8.87</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.61</p>
<h4><strong>Maryland</strong></h4>
<p>Average Hours Worked Per Day: 9.06</p>
<p>Average Leisure Hours Per Workday: 2.74</p>
<p><strong>Methodology</strong></p>
<p>For the study, SolitaireBliss analyzed work and leisure reported in the 2021 American Time Use Survey to determine the states with the best and worst work-life balance. Each category is defined as follows:</p>
<ul>
<li>Work: Work and work-related activities; travel related to work</li>
<li>Leisure: Socializing, relaxing and leisure; sports, exercise, and recreation; travel related to socializing; travel related to sports</li>
</ul>
<p>To qualify, respondents had to be employed, report time working, and have been interviewed about weekday activities. States with five or fewer respondents—Alaska, Delaware, and South Dakota—were disqualified.</p>
<p>View the full study here: <a href="https://www.solitairebliss.com/blog/states-work-life-balance">https://www.solitairebliss.com/blog/states-work-life-balance</a></p>